ELA CCGPS UNIT PLAN: 2nd 9 Weeks
This unit is provided as a sample of available resources and tasks; it is for informational purposes only. It is your responsibility to investigate the resources listed here to determine their value and appropriateness for your district. GaDOE does not endorse or recommend the purchase or use of any particular resource.
PRIMARY READING FOCUS: Literary
THEME: Is This For Real? The Amazing Events and Heroics That Gave Birth to the United States of America
EXTENDED TEXT:
George Washington’s Socks by Elvira Woodruff
THEMATICALLY CONNECTED SHORT TEXTS (mixture of literary and informational):
1. My America: When Freedom Comes: Hope’s Revolutionary War Diary Book # 3 by Kristiana Gregory
2.The Revolutionary War on Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne
3. The American Revolution (History of the World) by Don Nardo
4. If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution by Kay Moore (informational question and answer book)
5. The American Revolution by R.G. Grant
6. Patrick Henry’s speech “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”
7. The Moon by Seymour Simon
.
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL:
Texts:
D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths
Fantastic Creatures from Greek Myths Retold by Pat Posner
Gods and Goddesses from Greek Myths Retold by Pat Posner
Visuals:
George Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware River
The Battle of Bunker Hill
Audio:
Yankee Doodle Dandy
God Save The King
PRIMARY WRITING FOCUS: Opinion / Support a position
- Opinion: In the book George Washington’s Socks, written by Elvira Woodruff, five children are mysteriously thrown back in time to George Washington’s Continental Army crossing the Delaware River in 1776. This was a time for many American colonists to make a courageous decision. Should they join the Patriots and their fight for freedom from British control or remain loyal to King George and support his rule? If they decided to support the Patriots, they risk the brutality of the British soldiers and if they decided to support the Loyalists, they could forever be disowned by their family members and their fellow Americans. Think about which side you would choose to support if you lived back then. Cite examples in the text for your choice (e.g., the British soldiers providing protection for the colonists or the American colonists ordered to pay taxes by King George III). Use your social studies book and informational texts to build support for your opinion. Include a topic sentence and a closing with your position. Take notes as you read and research in order to build support your opinion.
- Opinion: Read aloud Patrick Henry’s famous speech “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” to the students.
Narratives:
- Narrative: Create a Colonial Census Form. Students choose their name, colony, age, father’s name, father’s trade, and other family members. Write a detailed description of their imaginary family and their position in the conflict between the colonists and Britain. Use this census form to make journal entries, letters, and positions.
- Narrative: Think about a time period in history that you would enjoy visiting. Which time period would enjoy visiting? How did you get there? Who would you most want to meet? What would you want to know? Think about the problems you encountered and how you were able to solve them. Write a short narrative essay about your experiences as you traveled back in time. Include a beginning, middle, and end for your essay.
American Revolutionary War
George Washington or King George III
Bunker Hill / Breed’s Hill
Tax Acts repealed by the British
Hessian soldiers / British soldiers/ American soldiers
Lexington and Concord
Yorktown
Committees of Correspondence
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Routine Writing Opportunities:
- Journal writing
- Summarizing
- Historical newspaper
- Response to literature
- Research notes
- Predictions from the text
- Connecting text to actual historical events
PLANS FOR ASSESSMENT 1: CONNECTING READING TO WRITING AT GR2.ADE-APPROPRIATE LEVEL
PROMPT: Opinion
In the book George Washington’s Socks written by Elvira Woodruff, five children are mysteriously thrown back in time to George Washington’s Army crossing the Delaware River on that cold night in 1776. Many colonists had to make the difficult decision of whether to join the forces of the Patriots or remain loyal to King George of England. If they support the cause of the Patriots, it could mean death. If they support the British, it could mean losing loved ones. Choose a position prior to writing. (Patriot or Loyalist) Think of your position or opinion as the unit progresses while building support for your essay. Cite and describe details used in the text that support your opinion. Do you think the fight for liberty was worth the sacrifices so many American colonists made back in 1776?
SKILL BUILDING TASKS
Note: tasks may take more than a single day. Include a task to teach EVERY skill students will need to succeed on the assessment prompt above. Language, Foundations, and Speaking/Listening standards must be incorporated so that all standards are adequately addressed throughout the year.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do we use fiction and nonfiction text to gain a deeper understanding of historical events?
Task: Access prior knowledge and build background
Standards:
ELACC4RL1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
ELACC4RL2: Determine a theme of a story, drams, or poem from details in text; summarize the text.
ELACC4RL6: Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first and third person narrations.
ELACC4RL3: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text. (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions.
ELACC4RI3: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
Instruction:
- Introduce the Unit Theme (Is This For Real?) Have students look at the book cover of George Washington’s Socks by Elvira Woodruff. Begin a word splash using student’s ideas from the book’s cover. Next have students read the back cover and give their ideas about the book they are going to read. Allow students to add more words to the word splash. Guide students to notice George Washington and the 5 children in the small rowboat. Ask students how these characters from different time periods can be linked together? Is this a story happening now (realistic fiction) or is this a story from long ago? (historical fiction)
- Whole group discussion: Prompt students to discuss what they may know about our first president, George Washington. Show students one dollar bills with his picture. Ask students if George Washington was a person who lived a week ago, a month ago, a year ago, a decade ago, or hundreds of years ago. Discuss events that specifically happened in their lives from these time frames. This will help students gain a clearer reference to historical events versus present day events.
- Read aloud Chapters 1-5. Reading aloud the first few chapters of a book help to build a stronger foundation for all students. Chapters 1-5 are realistic fiction text as well as the final two chapters. The historical fantasy text begins in chapter 6. This story is told in third person with dialogue between the characters. Remind students that the first person narrations are told by the main character rather than a story being told by someone else. First person text uses words such as “I” or “me”. Ask students how we know what the characters are saying in this text. Encourage them to notice the quotation marks of the spoken words of a character. Continue to remind students how this text is written in third person.
- Make a chart or story map with the elements of fiction and have students complete their chart or story map with details from the first five chapters. Model a larger one for display in the classroom. Include the following elements of fiction literature to the chart or story map: characters, settings, problems, and solutions.
- Allow students the opportunity to ask questions, make predictions, and make comments about the chapters. Encourage students to use words directly from the text to support their ideas.
- Use dictionaries and computers for word meanings that cannot be understood through context clues.
Differentiation Option (s)
Small group
Paired reading
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What are the steps in the writing process?
Task: Create a strong opinion essay for an audience
Standards:
ELACC4W1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
- Introduce a topic or text, clearly state an opinion, and create and organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
- Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
- Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
- Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
ELACC4W5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
ELACC4W6: With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.
ELACC4L1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
- Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting rhetorically poor fragments and run-ons.
- Use correct capitalization.
- D. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.
- Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
- B. Choose punctuation for effect.
Instruction:
- Give students a copy of the rubic to be used when assessing their essays. Provide students the opportunity to ask questions before beginning.
- Model using a graphic organizer the prewriting ideas and understandings of the assessment prompt. The graphic organizer should contain words elicited from the class.
- Give students a checklist to use as they begin their first draft. This checklist includes the steps in the writing process as well as grammatical reminders.
- Instruct students to follow the organization pattern of an opinion piece. Their opinion should be stated in the opening paragraph and again in the closing paragraph. The paragraphs in between should give support with facts and details they researched throughout the unit. These paragraphs should also provide a bridge between the students’ opinions and reasons. Remind students to skip lines when writing their first draft.
- Have students peer edit with partners. Students should use the standard editing marks listed on their checklist. Remind students of the purpose of peer editing which is to help their classmate develop a wonderful essay. Students are to use computers, electronic spellers, thesauruses, and dictionaries to ensure correct spelling. Teachers could choose to use sticky notes for some students.
- After student’s essays are edited, they may begin their final draft. Remind students to make all corrections suggested to them by their peer editor. This is their opportunity to change or add details they may have omitted on their first draft. Encourage students to add strong descriptive words in order for the audience to understand their position.
Homework: Parents and students review edited essay and make corrections.
*Assessment Opportunity
Differentiation Option(s):
Teacher-student edit first draft
Peer editing
Parent / student editing
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How does a reader gain a deeper understanding of a character?
Task: Describe the main characters using the text
Standards:
ELACC4RL 1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explain what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
ELACC4RL 3: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g, a character’s thought, words, or actions).
ELACC4W 1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
ELACC4W 9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
ELACC4W 10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
ELACC4SL 1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
ELACC4SL 3: Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.
ELACC4L3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
Instruction:
- After reading chapters 1-5, discuss the five main characters’ traits. Encourage students to notice the character’s appearance as well as their personalities. Use specific actions, thoughts, and words from each of the chapters to give solid characterizations for each character. Direct student’s attention to the italicized writing at the end of chapter 1, page 4, page 29. Help students understand the author’s purpose for this and share how this gives clues for the reader to analyze a character’s thoughts. Continue to analyze the characters as reading continues.
- Have students make a Venn diagram to compare themselves to one of the main characters.
- As the class reads through chapter 5 have students complete a graphic organizer about their favorite character and how they can relate to them. What does the character think, say or do to give support and understanding of who the characters are. Have students make a Venn diagram to compare themselves to one of the main characters.
- Analyze characters after each whole group reading session.
- Student’s ideas and understanding of a character should change as the book progresses. Model as you analyze the main character, Matt, to provide students a better understanding of this element of fiction. Place emphasis on using the text to support their opinions.
- Instruct students to write a rough draft paragraph describing the main character, Matt. Support for their writings must include actions, words, and thoughts of a character as well as the page number of the text. Display these paragraphs in the classroom to revisit as Matt changes in the final chapters.
*Assessment Opportunity
Differentiation Option(s):
Small group
Have students work in pairs to share ideas about the same character.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do you distinguish fact from fiction when reading historical fiction literature?
Task: Use various reference materials
Standards:
ELACC4RL 1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explain what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
ELACC4W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
- Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
d. Use precise language and domain---specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
ELACC4W 7: Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspect of a topic.
ELACC4SL1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.